SPECTATOR COMPETITION No. 47

Report by J. M. Cohen

Riding over the plain of La Mancha, Don Quixote catches sight of a line of pylons in the distance. A prize of f5 was offered for a conversation in which he explains their presence to an incredulous Sancho (limit 250 words).

Giants, ships' masts, Martian visitors, the three Fates spinning their webs, maidens advancing by night with jewels on their heads, and—more fantastic still—escaped giraffes. and figures set up by the wiseacres of Saragossa University to illustrate Euclid's theorems: such were some of the explanations offered on behalf of the Knight of the Sad Countenance, by a most inventive batch of competitors. The possibilities were even more various than I had supposed. C. L. Hillman discovered Don Quixote in one of his literary moods discoursing of the extra-planetary visitors of whom he had read in the works of Don Herberto of the Wells. He came near to an award when he made Sancho refer to " a row of these new- fangled nylons " ; a mistake which drew down on him his master's familiar twofold rebuke: "You must say pylons. But they arc no pylons." Mr. Hillman blundered badly, however, in making the Squire refer sententiously to the cables " bearing electric current to remote and backward villages like El Toboso." It would take more than an interval of three-and-a-half centuries to convert Sancho to a belief in progress. Roger Till, another near-winner, was prompted by the thought of ships' masts to indulge in a vigorous battle scene in the manner of Treasure Island. He redeemed himself magnificently, however, by making his Knight suddenly discover that " this is no pirate galleon, but a poor, wandering hermaphrodite who has grown too quickly to maturity." Guy Kendall, too, almost promoted him- self to the winning class by his Knight's ingenious proposal that his Squire should investigate tht. meaning of the word Danger on the label attached to the giant's belt. " So do that, Sancho, climb up his ribs," he commands, " and ascertain the nature of that danger by grasping it."

I have awarded the prizes to be shared equally between Margaret Usborne and R. Kennard Davis. Miss Usborne catches Cervantes to the life (in a modern translation). I particularly appreciate her characteristic little string of squirely proverbs which, as Sancho would say, come pat to the point. Mr. Kennard Davis is Cervan- tesque in his invention, and in his Knight's swift misinterpretation of the motorist's warning. In language he follows one of the older translators—at a guess, Jarvis.

PRIZES (MARGARET USBORNO

"Now. my good Sancho, will I commend myself to my sweet enemy, the Lady Dulcinea del Toboso, and once more draw my sword in defence of faith and chivalry. For 1 see advancing towards us, under the light of the moon, a band of vile pagans, such as were destroyed by the valorous Amadis of Gaul. Their eyes gleam from afar and they are clad in bright armour, stolen from IhO bodies of noble knights errant whom, by enchantment, they have basely laid in the dust. Advance, my spirited Rosinante, to avenge this foul wrong."

He dug his spurs into Rosinante who, because he was hungry and had found a patch of good grass, sensibly refused to move.

But your worship," said Sancho, ' these are not pagans but pylons. They are not advancing but standing still, getting on with their own business, mthich your worship and I would be better employed in doing. And what you see gleaming are hot eyes but torches put there to stop foolish people like ourselves (begging your worship's pardon) from running into them in the dark. If you attack these pagans as you did those windmills their Moorish enchantments will run up your lance like a tat up a rope and you'll be taken home as dead as a doornail. And then who wilt defend the honour of the fair Dulcinea and give me an isle to govern ? "

(R. KENNARD Davis)

Master," quoth Sancho, " what are those rods that f perceive rising into the sky, like the masts of ships buried in the sand ? "

*1 he Knight reined in his steed and gazed. "Ships ? " he exclaimed. Niy, they arc great spiders. Seest thou not the gleaming threads that stretch from them ? This is some monstrous enchantment spread over the plain by a magician. Come, let us destroy his spell ! " Thus saying he pricked Rosinante and, followed by his squire, galloped over the barren ground. Then, drawing rein under the nearest thread, he leaped up onto the saddle and slashed furiously in the air with his sword: vet could he not reach the shining wire

Thereat along the causeway came a wondrous carriage, moving without horses ; and from within it a man cried: " Ho, there I Touch not yonder wire, lest thou be slain incontinently.'

"Good Sir," quoth the knight, leaping to the ground, "1 prithee, tell me, whence come these spider-threads, and who hath set them here ? "

"Truly," answered the wight, "they come from the Transformer that is behind yonder fence. Beware, and meddle not therewith I " So saying, he drove on.

" The Transformer I " criel Quixote. " Said I not that this was a magician's doing 7 Alas for the hapless men that he hath transformed into spiders I Come, let us storm the fence and assail him "

" Nay, master," quoth Sancho, " the night falleth—and they be but ships masts."